Who you’d need to beat to snag a Guinness World Record
THE 2019 edition of the Guinness World Records has just dropped, full of weird and wonderful achievements most wouldn’t even dream of attempting. Want to break a record? This exclusive look will show you who you need to beat.
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FOR 64 years Guinness World Records has put the spotlight on the world’s risk-takers, the death defying, the age ignoring and the skill testers willing to push their minds and bodies to the limit to do what no one else has done before.
Today the record authority releases its 2019 book of achievers and there’s plenty of weird and wacky stuff in there including some records that cannot be broken.
For example, did you know Jennifer Lee was the first woman to use the #Selfie hashtag in 2011 or that the first robotic surgery was performed in 2016?
Or perhaps the first couple to drive the circumference of the Earth by car — Saloo and Neena Choudhury in a Hindustan Contessa in 1989 — will surprise you. It took them 69 days.
But if snagging yourself a world record is on your bucket list here’s a few you could aim for — beating these guys isn’t going to be easy though. Best to aim high right?
THE AUSSIES
This year a bunch of Aussies and global-thrill seekers have been given shout-outs for caring enough about something to the point they want to be the world’s best at it.
From owning the most Lego to fire breathing, sword swallowing and climbing the world’s tallest mountains — here are a few Australians who hold world records in their chosen skill.
THE MOST FLOWER GIRLS AT A WEDDING
Charlene Pearson and Leon Watts
The most flower girls ever seen at a wedding was 253, and it was achieved by Australian couple Charlene and Leon when they married in Japan in April 2017. The couple wanted to break the record to bring joy to the city of Hita after an earthquake hit there a year before. Flower power!
YOUNGEST PERSON TO CLIMB SEVEN SUMMITS, SEVEN VOLCANOES
Daniel Bull
Daniel was 36 when he became the world’s youngest person to complete the seven summits, seven volcanoes challenge. The Melbourne man did the climbs between August 2006 and April 2017 scaling Elbrus and Mont Blanc (Europe), Kilimanjaro (Africa), Denali (North America), Aconcagua (South America), Everest (Asia), Carstensz Pyramid and Kosciuszko (Oceania) and Vinson (Antarctica), as well as the Volcanic Summits of Ojos del Salado (South America), Pico de Orizaba (North America), Damavand (Asia), Mount Giluwe (Oceania) and Mount Sidley (Antarctica). Looks like his boots are made for walking.
THE MOST UNDERWATER SOMERSAULTS WHILE SWORD SWALLOWING
Chayne Hultgren
The NSW man known as the Space Cowboy managed two somersaults underwater while sword swallowing in February 2017. Pretty dicey stuff.
THE OLDEST PILOT
Phillip Frawley
Phillip, 65, is the oldest active pilot at the Royal Australian Air Force Base in Williamtown, NSW — he broke the record in August 2017.
THE MOST TATTOOED
Lucky Diamond Rich
The chainsaw juggling, uni-cycling and sword-swallowing skilled man is also the most tattooed after having his body modified by hundreds of artists. Ouch!
THE HIGHEST ALTITUDE SKATEBOARDER
Aleks Stocki
No boarder has ever gone higher than Aleks Stocki, whose skate at 3505m is the highest altitude skate ever recorded. It was achieved in Leh, Jammu and Kashmir, India in August 2017.
GLOBALLY GOOD
It’s pretty high stakes on the world stage if you want a break a world record — these guys (and pets) probably won’t give up their titles too easy.
THE MOST SAUSAGES MADE IN A MINUTE
Barry John Crowe
The Irishman from Cavan can make a whopping 78 sausages in 60 seconds. Barbie anyone?
THE LONGEST LEGS
Ekaterina Lisina
The Russian beauty holds the record for being the woman with the world’s longest legs at 132cm making her the world’s tallest model.
THE FASTEST MILE ON A POGO STICK
Drew McQuiston
Boing! The American cracked a mile on a pogo stick in seven minutes and 40 seconds in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in June 2017.
OLDEST TRAPEZE ARTIST
Betty Goedhart
The 86-year-old Californian woman holds this record for flying high in the sky.
THE MOST DOUBLE DUTCH SKIPS BY A DOG
Geronimo
This border collie kelpie cross can do 128 jumprope skips in a minute.
THE LONGEST PAPER CLIP CHAIN
Ben Mooney
He was only nine when he decided to make the world’s longest paperclip chain. He also has made the world’s longest loom band. The Belfast boy’s paperclip chain consists of 66,000.
When Ben tried to measure his record he had a problem — magpies. His family had to chase the birds away as he measured it.
THE LARGEST KNITTING NEEDLES
Betsy Bond
The UK art student unveiled her giant needles at an end of year exhibition. They’re 4.4m in length and 9cm diameter. Yes, she can even knit with them.
THE MOST DICE BALANCED ON A CAT
Bibi
This cat ain’t got time for chasing mice. Bibi likes to balance things on his paws.
For more record-breaking greatness check out The Guinness World Records 2019 and Gamer’s Edition 2019. For more information visit guinnessworldrecords.com.
Originally published as Who you’d need to beat to snag a Guinness World Record